Edward Benlowes
| birth_place = | death_date = December, | death_place = | resting_place = | occupation = | language = | nationality = English | ethnicity = | citizenship = | education = | alma_mater = St John's College, Cambridge | period = | genre = Poetry | subject = | movement = | notableworks = | spouse = | partner = | children = | relatives = | awards = | signature = | signature_alt = | module = | website = | portaldisp = }} Edward Benlowes (July 12, 1602 — Dec. 18, 1676) was an English poet of the metaphysical school and a patron of the arts."Edward Benlowes, Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Web, Oct. 23, 2011. Life Benlowes was born in Finchingfield, Essex, the son of Andrew Benlowes of Brent Hall, Essex. He matriculated at St John's College, Cambridge, in 1620. On leaving the university he travelled with a tutor on the continent, visiting seven courts of princes. Wood says that he returned tinged with Romanism; but according to Cole he had been bred in the Roman Catholic religion from his earliest years. On the death of his father he became possessed of the estate of Brent Hall, but being a man of a very liberal disposition he contrived "to squander it mostly away on poets, flatterers (which he loved), in buying of curiosities (which some called baubles), on musicians, buffoons, &c." (Wood). He often gave his bond for the payment of debts contracted by his friends, and on one occasion, being unable to meet the obligation he had incurred, was committed to prison at Oxford. To his niece at her marriage, he granted a handsome portion, and many poor scholars experienced his bounty. When he left Cambridge he made a valuable donation of books to St. John's College. Among his friends, he numbered many distinguished men. In 1638, Phineas Fletcher dedicated to him The Purple Island. Sir William Davenant, Francis Quarles, Payne Fisher, and others, dedicated works to him or complimented him in epigrams. Benlowes spent the last eight years of his life at Oxford, studying much in the Bodleian Library, and enjoying 'conversation with ingenious.' He died after, he marched off in a cold season, on 18 December 1676, at eight o'clock at night. Writing His most important work is Theophila, or Love's Sacrifice, a Divine Poem (1652). The poem deals with mystical religion, telling how the soul, represented by Theophila, ascends by humility, zeal and contemplation, and triumphs over the sins of the senses. It is written in a curious stanza of three lines of unequal length rhyming together. Until recent times justice has hardly been done to Benlowes' poetical merits and indisputable piety. Samuel Butler, who satirized him in his "Character of a Small Poet," found abundant matter for ridicule in his eccentricities; and Pope and Warburton noted him as a patron of bad poets. Recognition Theophila was reprinted by S.W. Singer; and in Minor Poets of the Caroline Period, vol. i. (1905), Mr Saintsbury reprinted Theophila '' and two other poems by Benlowes, "The Summary of Wisedome," and "A Poetic Descant upon a Private Music-Meeting." Publications Poetry English *A Poetick Descant: upon a private musick-making. London: 1649. *Theophila; or, Loves sacrifice: A divine poem. London: R.N., for Henry Seile & Humphrey Moseley, 1652. *The Summary of Wisedome'' (in English & Latin). London: Humphrey Moseley, 1657. *''A Glance at the Glories of Sacred Friendship''. London: R.D., for Humphrey Mosely, 1657. Latin *''Sphinx Theologica: Sive musica temple''. London: 1636. Papa perstriclus, (Echo) ictus. London: Jacobi Junii, 1645. *''Oxonii encomium''. Oxford, UK: H. Hall, 1672. *''Magna coelestis''. 1673. *''Oxonia elogia''. 1673.Edward Benlowes (1603ca.-1676) at English Poetry, 1579-1830, Virgina Polytechnic Institute & State University. Web, Apr. 28, 2016 Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Edward Benlowes, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Apr. 28, 2016. See also *List of British poets References * * Notes External links ;Poems *"On the Excellent Moral Poem, entitled The Isle of Man" *Edward Benlowes at PoemHunter (25 poems) ;About *Edward Benlowes in the Encyclopædia Britannica *Edward Benlowes (1602-1676) at St. John's College *Edward Benlowes (1603ca.-1676) at English Poetry, 1579-1830 * Original article is at "Benlowes, Edward" * "Benlowes, Edward" Benlowes, Edward Category:English poets Category:1603 births Category:1676 deaths Category:17th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets Category:Patrons of literature